Daniel shook his head rapidly as he refused to process the information given to him. Meanwhile, Matthew began biting his nails subconsciously, bringing back the old habit he had picked up again a few months ago. Lastly, Megan continued reading through the article on her phone, trying to get more information on the situation.
Matthew looked left and right, trying to find a way out of the jam they had gotten into. He thought there would at least be a patch of grass for them to drive onto to go backwards, but there wasn't. There was absolutely no way for them to reverse or U-turn, which meant they were inevitably trapped in a line of cars.
"I don't think we're going to get to the airport in time," Daniel stated the obvious.
"No kidding," Matthew groaned sarcastically.
Megan leaned her head against the side of the car, heaving a hopeless sigh, while Daniel closed his eyes, trying to picture himself being somewhere that didn't consist of a jam involving impatient drivers. Only Matthew was attentive and eager to look for any signs of movement in the traffic. His efforts would be in vain, however, as the cars ahead remained stationary even for the following thirty minutes.
"I don't get why this jam is even happening," Megan stated her confusion and frustration simultaneously. She didn't seem too interested in waiting anymore, so she followed Daniel and closed her eyes afterwards.
Matthew sighed in defeat after finally accepting that they weren't going to move for the next hour—or hours. "You guys can just relax or nap for now," he suggested as he looked at them through the rear-view mirror. "We're going to be here for a while."
* * *
Three days later...
Matthew awoke to the sound of an explosion in the early morning. It wasn't distinct and was rather faint—it sounded distant. Nonetheless, it was still noticeable and loud enough to wake him from his deep sleep. He straightened his posture as he sat up and turned his head around to look at Daniel and Megan, who somehow were still asleep.
He then turned back to find the source of what he thought was an explosion, although it was harder to hear now since only a rumbling noise remained. He looked out of the car and glanced at numerous people standing outside their vehicles. As he inspected their facial expressions more carefully, he quickly realised that they were displaying either awe or appalment on their faces. As he soon realised, they were all staring at something, as if it were something that would catch their attention.
And it turned out that it really was something that no one would be able to take their eyes off.
As Matthew had a bit of short-sightedness, he could not see clearly what the bystanders outside were focusing on. As such, he got out of the car and grabbed his phone from his pocket, opening the camera application. He then used the zoom function on the application to enlarge the image he was staring at.
The results were unexpectedly shocking.
Matthew spammed the capture button multiple times before returning to the car to wake the two detectives up. However, they were already awake, being woken up by the slam of the car door earlier on.
"What's going on now?" Daniel questioned, rubbing his eyes as he got up.
Matthew shook his head rapidly. "You won't believe this," he said as he entered the gallery application and tapped on the image he had just captured. He held the phone right in front of Daniel and Megan's faces so that they would see it clearly for themselves.
Megan gasped as she moved her head away from the phone, unable to take in what she had just seen. Meanwhile, Daniel rubbed his eyes forcefully, making sure that the tears that had accumulated in his eyes during his nap didn't cause him to see things. He then confirmed that what he saw in the picture wasn't a lie.
"Where did you get this picture from?" Megan questioned Matthew in disbelief.
"This isn't from a movie, is it?" Daniel added to the queries.
Matthew pointed out of the car window towards the direction he had taken the picture in. He then winded down their windows, allowing them to see out of the car more clearly. "Have a look for yourselves," he said. "Or you can join the others and step out to look at it."
Thus, Megan stepped out of the car to look at it more carefully while Daniel remained in the car, peering out of the window frame. Megan, who had perfect eyesight up to that day, told herself that her eyes weren't lying. And they weren't.
Daniel then poked his head out of the car. He understood what Matthew was trying to imply, seeing how he himself lived in a building that was located beside the thing Matthew was describing. Or the thing that used to be. "It's the Manhattan Bridge, isn't it?" he clarified.
Matthew nodded. There was no doubt that the severely damaged structure that they were staring at was the Manhattan Bridge. And its remains had yet to get its share of destruction.
The remaining cables, which held the last bits of the bridge deck, sprang outwards, flinging into the waters below. Other pieces of debris from the bridge flew up and eventually smashed into buildings around the bridge. After a minute of more chaos, the bridge finally collapsed, and the mess ended. All that remained were the two steel towers that once held up the bridge that ceased to be and, a few concrete plates and iron beams that jutted out of the sides of the towers.
"What ever happened to it?" Megan questioned, staring at the collapsed bridge.
"I supposed it was bombed," Matthew suggested, based on what he had heard with his ears earlier on. "The sound of what I thought was an explosion woke me up just now, so I'm suspecting that there was a bomb or explosive on the bridge."
"But who would do that?" Daniel added to the list of unanswered questions that they had.
Matthew shrugged. He knew nothing more than what the other two knew. "Can't ask me. We'll probably find out soon enough," Matthew theorised.
Just as he finished his sentence, the cars ahead began moving again for no apparent reason. As a result, those standing outside ceased to watch the destroyed Manhattan Bridge anymore and headed back into their vehicles. And just as that happened, the barricades on the road finally cleared, restarting the flow of traffic.
As such, the three detectives followed along and entered the car. Matthew placed his hands on the steering wheel once again and rested his foot on the accelerator pedal, ready to drive off. As soon as the car directly in front of him began moving, he took off, moving ahead with the other vehicles.
The car entered the tunnel, moving at a relatively slow but reasonable pace that they could all agree was better than no movement at all. Of course, they had already missed their flight days ago. Unfortunately, there was no way for them to U-turn, so they had to cross over to Queens before they could make their way back to Manhattan if they wanted to.
"So, where are we headed now?" Daniel asked curiously, checking his watch, although it was clear to him that they had no chance of catching their flight. Moreover, the lockdown included the closing of New York airspace for precautions regarding the ongoing virus epidemic.
"I don't exactly know. We might as well turn around and head back to my apartment after we cross over," Matthew suggested.
Just as he finished his sentence, a rumbling sound was heard, accompanied by a violent tremor in the tunnel. The sound was similar to that of the explosion on the Manhattan Bridge. And because of that, Matthew feared for the worst.
"What was that?" Daniel asked, shivering in fear as he felt the vibrations run through the tunnel, although they got weaker over time.
Matthew and Megan didn't respond, however. They were both trying to listen carefully for other sounds and pay attention to any other abnormal movements. And their efforts soon turned out to be successful, although what they were about to experience wasn't going to be very pleasant.
"Matthew!" Megan alerted Matthew abruptly as soon as she spotted something unusual. "There was a large crack along the side of the tunnel wall just now. I don't know if I saw it wrongly, but I think there was water spilling out of the fault."
Matthew pursed his lips and frowned. He could already picture what was about to happen. "Buckle up, everyone," he said as he forcefully stepped on the accelerator. He began swerving through the spaces left between the other cars.
And just as he had expected, a greater tremor was felt this time, and it was almost as if the tunnel was trembling in fear. The faint sound of water splashing around could be heard behind them, but it became louder over time. It served as a clear indication to them that part of the tunnel had given way and allowed water to flood in.
Megan turned around and came to the sudden realisation that water had entered the tunnel and was chasing after them. The water was approaching them rapidly and was eventually going to catch up to them. Thankfully, the tunnel was only a little longer than a mile, allowing them to reach the end in a matter of seconds.
Matthew drifted for a moment, avoiding the rest of the idle cars that had stopped for a break from the life-threatening experience that they had all been in. Soon, they came to a halt, just like the other cars, and the three detectives stopped speaking to catch their breath.
Megan looked behind once more to notice that the entire tunnel was flooding, and the water level was beginning to rise to the sea level. Meanwhile, Daniel winded down the window, sticking his head out to catch his breath. However, he quickly retracted himself back into the car, choking and rewinding the window.
"What's wrong?" Matthew asked worriedly as he watched Daniel cough slightly.
Daniel shook his head and waved his hand across his mouth. "It's nothing," he said as he gagged for the last time.
Megan winded down her window to take in the musty scent outside their car. She coughed slightly, too, before winding the window back up. "Now I understand the reason for your temporary coughing fit," she stated. She then looked over at Matthew, the only one who hadn't got to smell the air for himself. "Matthew, the air outside is all thick and smoky," she informed him.
"Well," Matthew replied, "I'm not surprised. Look at all the buildings ahead of us."
Megan and Daniel, who didn't wish to pop their heads out of the car anymore, angled their heads at angles that allowed them to see upwards and ahead. To their horror, they witnessed multiple buildings on fire—some had tiny, warm flames while others experienced scorching blazes that threatened to tear down the buildings wholly.
Megan then proceeded to check the news again. She always depended on it because she knew it was the only way for them to understand at least partially what was happening. Meanwhile, Matthew focused on the road ahead, waiting for the streets to clear so they could move on.
Instead, the cars began swerving in all directions, accompanied by hysterical screams. Within seconds, barely any vehicles were left to be seen in front of them. And Matthew finally understood why the traffic began moving again.
A creature came into the sight of the detectives as it began its approach from a hundred feet away. Its distinct red eyes instantly gave away its identity, so Matthew stepped on the accelerator pedal and began moving the car swiftly.
Daniel and Megan both hit their heads against the headrests forcefully, stupefied by the sudden movement of the car. They quickly strapped themselves up, securing themselves in the car amid the sudden acceleration.
"Where are we heading to?" Daniel screamed, getting his voice through the roaring sound of the car engine.
"Wherever that isn't this place!" Matthew yelled back as it became harder to speak with all the noise outside. "As long as there aren't burning buildings, creatures or bombs going off, we're heading there!"
Meanwhile, Megan continued focusing on an article she had begun reading a while ago. The car shook violently as it rushed through the bumpy roads like a frantic mouse trying to escape from its predator. This caused Megan some trouble reading as she skimmed through the article on her phone, but she still managed to capture some keywords that the other two would want to hear.
"Matthew!" Megan alerted him. "There are some 'safe zones' being indicated by the government right now to protect us from the ongoing epidemic. One of them happens to be a place called Palmer Fair. We should check it out."
"Palmer Fair? Do you think this has something to do with Palmer?" Daniel added to the conversation.
"Maybe. He might be hiding there, so let's see if we have any chance of finding him," Matthew replied straightforwardly.
Megan then reached ahead and secured her phone onto the phone holder at the front of the car. She then entered Google Maps and keyed in the directions for Matthew. "Follow these directions to Palmer Fair. It's here in Queens."
Eventually, they approached the funfair and could already see the temporary walls surrounding it. Although they encountered more creatures along the way, they were lucky that none could attack them. Now, it was time for them to head into safety and to try to find Mr. Palmer, on the other hand.
After all, what other places could be better for Palmer to hide than his own funfair, marked as a safe area by the government? Nowhere else, which was what the group decided when they headed there for the two purposes they had in mind.
The three detectives stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance of the funfair. Along the walls were some flyers and posters pasted up. Megan walked ahead of the other two to look at them closely.
"Look at the posters," she informed Matthew and Daniel, who followed along and took a look at the posters too.
"Meet and greet the owner of Palmer Fair, James Palmer. Meet fee only ten dollars per child, and the money earned goes to funding cures for rare diseases. Don't miss these special dates—June 18, 19 and 20, 2020— to meet Mr Palmer." Daniel read from the posters.
"It is him. Palmer owns this place. And his Meet and Greet sessions are also supposed to be today, June 20. There's a high possibility that he'll be here considering the fact that New York airspace is closed and that he can't leave the city," Matthew said.
He then proceeded with an attempt to kick the entrance door down, which he thought wouldn't work. Instead, the doors gave way instantly, but not in the way that he thought it would.
They weren't even locked in the first place.
"This doesn't look too "safe", does it?" Daniel asked pessimistically as he entered the complex. He looked around and noticed how desolate it seemed. There were barely any signs of life, and it was almost as if an exodus had occurred.
"Well, it's either this slightly unprotected hiding area or driving around in the streets, waiting to be annihilated by the creatures or bombed by the military," Matthew said.
"All right, let's check the place out," Megan stated as she walked into the funfair, looking around.
As such, the group began roaming around the fairgrounds. The setting and style of the funfair seemed pretty old-style. It just had a feeling that brought Matthew back to the eighties—an era he wasn't even around to experience. Despite that, he could still picture himself in the past, going around the different stalls for games and food.
Meanwhile, the three continued moving down the walkway that led from the main entrance to the back of the park. Ignoring the bombing noises, the place seemed awfully quiet, causing Matthew to quickly snap out of his imagination. It was just eerie that there wasn't a single sound of life. It just seemed that everything was dead.
"This place feels really off. I don't even see anyone around the inner zones of the park ahead of us," Megan stated.
"Yes, and there's a lot of littered items around. It's like something happened here," Matthew added.
"Maybe it's just the pollution and smoke from the bombs?" Daniel theorised.
"I don't think so. I can feel that it's from somewhere around here," Megan disagreed.
"Let's just look around for any possible hiding spots," Matthew instructed. As such, the trio moved around the smoky and old-style carnival walkways and found nothing. Storage rooms and rides were all empty. More paper, bags and shoes were left on the floor.
"It's almost like the people here were fleeing or something," Megan guessed.
"Goodness," Daniel yelped, stopping dead in his tracks. "Something really happened here."
In front of them sat a small but fallen Ferris wheel. It looked like it had detached unexpectedly and rolled down a path, in which everything in its way was immediately obliterated before the Ferris wheel spun out of momentum and fell into its resting place.
"Yikes, that must be where the choking smell originated from," Megan remarked, pinching her nose to get rid of the smell of smoke.
"Some corpses we have here," Daniel added as they pointed out the things on the ground. Bodies were lying in some of the gondolas, while others were slumping out of them with blood spilt all over.
"After hearing what Daniel mentioned earlier and seeing all of this, I'm starting to think this safe place isn't so safe anymore...." Megan shivered as she looked away from the unsightly bodies.
"Well, remember—we came here primarily to find Palmer," Matthew reminded them about their purpose in going to the funfair.
"So, where in the world would Mr Palmer be? Or at least where in this carnival?" Megan further asked.
"Maybe we can ask those people over there," Matthew "suggested", pointing over to some people he had seen across the pathway, although he wasn't serious about it. Instead, he was trying to inform the detectives about their presence.
And just as he had described, a group of peoplewas walking around at a distance from them. There were at least dozens ofpeople in the group, so the trio ducked away. Matthew hid behind a popcornmachine while Megan and Daniel concealed themselves by hiding behind a bench.